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| Roding Valley roundel, 3rd April 2017 |
Today I visited a station most people have never been to, Roding Valley, the least used station on the London Underground. Around 260,000 people use the station each year, Waterloo gets more than that daily. Roding Valley is the least used station by around 300,000 passengers, as Chigwell is the second least used station with 560,000 passengers annually, and Grange Hill is the third least used station with 660,000 annual passengers, all three of the least used stations are the three stations between Woodford and Hainault on the Central London.
Roding Valley opened on the London Underground in 1948, although the area has had a longer history with railways. The station initially opened in 1936 by the London & North Eastern Railway, although tracks were originally placed as early as 1903. Although staff are apparently on site 24 hours a day, there is no staffed ticket office, and is one of just twelve stations on the entire network to not have ticket barriers. The station takes its name from the nearby river Roding.
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| A to scale diagram situating Roding Valley |
The least used station in 'London'
Despite not being in 'London', Roding Valley is still in zone 4. The station is actually in the county of Essex. Roding Valley is situated halfway between Woodford and Buckhurst Hill on the part of the Central London heading towards Epping. However, despite being about 200m from that part of the line, Roding Valley is the first of stations from Woodford to Hainault. This section on average receives three trains an hour, and these services tend to only serve Woodford, Roding Valley, Chigwell, Grange Hill and Hainault.
What was the user ship at Roding Valley on my visit?
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| View of Roding Valley from the footbridge, 3rd April 2017 |
Admittedly I visited Roding Valley in the afternoon during off-peak hours, but I was still surprised to be the only passenger getting off at the station. When I got off, nobody else got on. I then had to wait 20 minutes for the next train to Chigwell, in this time, nobody else joined me on the platform, there was one other passenger on the Eastbound platform waiting for the train to Woodford. When the train eventually arrived to take me to the next station, Chigwell, two passengers got off the train, but I was the only person to get on. It was surprising that during a period of 20 minutes, just four people used a station on the London Underground.
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| The footbridge at Roding Valley, 3rd April 2017 |
As always, I attempt to point out the little details that make each station unique, and that is why the London Underground is so special. Roding Valley appears to be just an average 1930's station, you really do get the sensation you are not in London at all, which is true. It was not until I was on the Central line train heading West towards Chigwell before I realised just how far out of London I am, as I saw Canary Wharf as a blur on the horizon. Other than a slightly curved platform, a lovely, but common footbridge, and a glimmer of the more frequent trains running from Buckhurst Hill and Woodford, there is nothing that stands out at Roding Valley. However, if you enjoy the London Underground, Roding Valley is an experience.
The chances are you have never been to Roding Valley. I ask, why not? On a lovely sunny day, like today, take a trip out of London, away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre, and just enjoy and marvel at how wonderful and unique the London Underground really is.
More photos
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| Train at the Eastbound platform heading towards Woodford, 3rd April 2017 |
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| Roding Valley exterior, 3rd April 2017 |
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| Panorama of Roding Valley from the Westbound platform, 3rd April 2017 |
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| My train to Hainault arriving, 3rd April 2017 |
If you like trains, the London Underground, or both, are you following my Instagram account? If you are not, follow tubespottingdan on Instagram for photos and videos of my journey around the capital as I attempt to tick off all 270 London Underground stations.
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